October came around so fast and with hopes of some new stuff to record.
Tuesday 1st Oct
Mistle thrush and a couple of Egyptian geese were a good start and with the prospect of the next day being a good seawatching day brought hope.
Wednesday 2nd Oct
Indeed there seemed to be a lot of birds passing out to sea, good numbers of Brent Geese and Shelduck, and groups of Common Scoter and Wigeon but not on the same scale, just Curlew were seen on the wader side species.
Thursday 3rd Oct
The seas had calmed but just off the coast I counted 18+ Red-throated Divers, The big movement of Jays was prominent, 8 in one flock flew over the garden, a lot of Skylark were passing over too, inland on the afternoon dog walk I saw a Stonechat and Peregrine.
Friday 4th Oct
Today I found my first Redwings and Brambling of the autumn, the Brambling was a lone bird mixed in with a flock of Chaffinch.
Saturday 5th Oct
Today brought a lot more Redwing around the village, also seen were a few Goldcrest and a Blackcap and a possible Yellow Browed Warbler calling but it couldn't be found after hearing just the one call!
But definitely the event of the day was the sighting of 6 Water Spouts distantly out to sea, the weather conditions were obviously spot on as a cloudy system moved in, there were reports of the spouts from here along to Cley.
Here you can see the start of the funnel emerging from the clouds.
Monday 7th Oct
Two nice birds today and both opposite each other, first I watched and photographed a Black Redstart and then a Ring Ouzel.
Thursday 10th Oct
4 Swallows heading east were probably the last group we would see passing.
Sunday 13th Oct
A Nuthatch was a welcome sight on the morning dog walk, and there was a big fall of Blackbirds, they seemed to be everywhere. A single House Martin feeding over the clifftop was a nice and last sighting of the month. With reports of Ring Ouzel along the coast I was eager to add them to the garden list, and sure enough after plenty of watching I had 2 birds fly low over the garden giving me my 100th garden bird species since moving here just over 2 years ago.
I was still seeing Hummingbird Hawkmoths occasionally and another Swallow put in a fly past.
Tuesday 15th Oct
I watched 100's of Thrushes flying in from over the sea, all at different heights but mostly all were Redwing, with some Song Thrush, I also managed to see just 1 Fieldfare, the first of the autumn.
Wednesday 16th Oct
With Redwing and Blackbird still all over the place it was nice to see Yellowhammer and Bullfinch down the back lanes, and Lapwing passing over.
Thursday 17th Oct
Today was Sarah and my anniversary so we took the dogs for a lovely walk around Kelling water meadows and along to Salthouse, a lot of Curlew flew over and landed on the flooded meadow, what a lovely sound hearing them, but even more welcome were some confiding Bearded Tits and then a calling Cetti's Warbler.
Monday 21st Oct
Today was a seawatching day, and there were plenty of birds moving along the coast.
Plenty of Eider were pushed closer, lots of auks flying through and sitting on the sea, I picked out both Razorbill and Guillemot and with a number of Little Auk on the move I was hopeful of picking one out and luck was on my side as I saw a single bird pass through.
Wednesday 23rd Oct
There were a lot feeding frenzies going on between Trimingham and Sidestrand, numerous schools of fish came to the surface and were jumping out of the water, the presence of these brought in hundreds of gulls and the frenzy went on for nearly an hour. Up at Sidestrand we watched a Marsh Tit flit past us and head off along the clifftops, and a single Swallow fly by.
Monday 28th Oct
The day before a group of 6 Snow Bunting had been reported in the fields between Trimingham and Sidestrand so this morning we walked the dogs along that stretch and were lucky enough to find 3 Snow Bunting feeding among the grassy crop field.
A Woodcock was flushed from the lanes later that day, no doubt I'll be seeing more in the woodland.
Tuesday 29th Oct
A lot of Starlings had been moving over in smaller groups but during the afternoon a huge flock had congregated near the clifftop wood and were feeding on the slopes, later 2 groups numbering around 500 in total passed over the garden.
Thursday 31st Oct
So that brings us to the last day of the month and it turned out to be a good day, first, the fields that held the Snow Buntings had been ploughed and literally as I scanned and said to Sarah " the Golden Plover will be returning now its ploughed" I picked out 5 plover sat in the middle of the field!
Then approaching the end of the walk with the dogs, I stopped to search through a feeding flock of tits only to find a stunning little Firecrest, what a mornings walk and the day hadn't finished there, early afternoon I popped round to the clifftop to have a scan, it was quiet out to sea and not a lot in the scrub but then flying along over the sea I picked out 2 Great White Egrets heading my way!
Though appearing quiet through October looking back at the reports it certainly didn't show that way, ...Oh and there's not forgetting the mothing!
Now mothing was definitely quieter than it had been, the weather wasn't great to leave the trap out on most nights and not a lot of moths came to the trap when it was out, but I managed a few new garden ticks.
Grey Shoulder-Knot
Beaded Chestnut
Dark Chestnut
Red-Line Quaker
Large Wainscot
Brick
